


Heart Knight

by screaminwhales



Category: Original Story
Genre: F/F, F/M, Fantasy, M/M, Magical Realism, Nonbinary Character, Other, Romance, Useless Lesbians, urbanfantasy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-20
Updated: 2019-11-20
Packaged: 2021-02-13 14:40:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21495925
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/screaminwhales/pseuds/screaminwhales
Summary: Mitchu Daniel wasn't counting to be much of anything. Well, maybe a pediatrician or lawyer, but that was expected from any Habesha kid. She never expected to become a hero, but a cute princess from the past has other plans. And by plans, she means Mitchu becoming a magical knight destined to protect society from demolishing itself as it did many years ago.





	Heart Knight

"_You_ _were_ _born_ _to_ _die_."

Smooth. Cautious. Firm. The words pounded through Mitchu's chest, shaking her inner core like an earthquake. Where was she? The brunet reached out to find something in the dark, but only found...frigid air. It was a pitch black void; Mitchu couldn't even see herself in this hole of obscurity. "Where am I..." The girl attempted to demand, but her throat betrayed her and twisted it into a whisper.

_"Don't tell me_ _you have forgotten,_ _Elaine_.”

Who was Elaine? Mitchu had a lot of nicknames, sure, hell Mitchu was technically one of them, but Elaine was a new one. Yet this woman said it with such confidence and poise...It baffled the teen. She wanted to disappear, return, go back to the school where everything was set in stone, yet her legs had a mind of their own. Mitchu found herself running, her voice lost as she descended deeper into the neverending nullity.

After an eternity of sprinting, finally the teenage girl came to a stop. There was finally something other than nothingness in this place. Approaching the light, Mitchu found herself looking at- a mirror? No, it was a window. The scene in front of her left her breathless and paralyzed. In front of Mitchu was a furious flame like nothing she had ever seen before- and she had lived through some scary scenes. 

She couldn't tear her eyes away from it all: The excessive amount of embers, the bright, marmalade flame, the buildings helplessly losing their poise and falling to their doom into the dirt...But oh god, the worst part was the screams. There were high pitched cries from babies, choked up rasps of defeat, weeping of families and lovers alike, and determined yet hopeless screeches of war. Mitchu pounded on the window, suddenly finding her voice as she bellowed, "Leave them alone! Please, let me....do something! I'll get them out of there!"

Was this it? Was Mitchu left in this void forever, watching so many lives be spilled? Pressing her forehead to the cool glass, she felt a shiver run down her spine. There, deep in the chaos stood...a ghost? No, they were a person, just like those surrounding them. Still, they weren't falling into panic, running, or doing much of anything. Even when they began to take steps, the person retained their perfect aplomb. It was almost as if the figure knew that Mitchu was watching this scene unfold, or at least that someone was on the other side.

"Fool us once, shame on them."

The feminine voice once again rang through the void. They didn't change their tone, but now it was obvious who the voice belonged to. Somehow, the figure had made it through most of the crowd, their head down and buried in their hair like Samara herself. Yet something told Mitchu...this wasn't some scripted horror flick that she would watch with the rest of the Q4. Slowly, the person lifted their head from their curls with a wrath that could match Mama's on her worst days. It was stupid, sure, but the brunet just couldn't peel herself away from the madness in front of her.

"Fool us twice, shame ON U-"

The poignant, all too familiar scent of orange peels hit Mitchu like a sucker punch to the face, with her eyes fluttering open almost instantly. She whirled around, her voice suddenly even and smooth as she murmured, "Camille, could you...actually eat your lunch before fifth bell?"

The redhead in question responded with a soft giggle, plopping a piece into the athlete's unsuspecting mouth. She chewed dutifully, swallowing a little quicker than probably necessary. Holding back a cough, Mitchu faced the front of the classroom once more as their English teacher blabbed about some guy named Ralph representing civilization. Reading the book in question probably would have helped her actually understanding what was going on, but last night she was stuck babysitting the little tykes. Chapters 2-5 could wait another day, right?

Camille seemed to read her mind and whispered in her ear, "The quiz on this half of the book is on Monday, you know. I'll share my notes with you, of course."

"Thanks, Cammie." The use of the childish nickname, even used with that dull voice of hers, caused the pale girl's cheeks to light up like a Christmas tree in an instant.

Speaking of light...That new black bean burger had obviously not resonated well with Mitchu. Sure, she had nightmares, but they never were so outlandish and fantastical. They also haven't been that intense and grimdark since she first moved to America from Ethiopia. Something was up with those ovens they use to heat up lunch, for sure. That was the only sensible explanation.

_ **BRNNNNNNG** _

"Alright class, read chapter 6 tonight so we can discuss tomorrow! Take in-depth notes and annotate, please." The teacher, Ms. Vernon,chirped as the students flooded out of the dimly lit classroom. It was easy to see why Mitchu fell asleep in this class practically every day; The school installed lights were turned off, replaced by fairy lights strung on the walls. No bright lights + literature = No reason to be asleep.

Mitchu gathered her books and binders nonchalantly, absorbing the mixture of teenage hormones and stressed out honor students with a deep sigh. She was nudged (then kicked) from the back and in return focused her deep umber eyes at Camille's antics. "You realize that my next class is a hallway and a turn away, correct?"

Camille let out another one of her giggles and tucked a loose strand behind her ear with the rest of her short hair. "Ah yes, CP chemistry. Have fun with all those lovely juniors boys."

"Eh, it's no big deal. They know that it's hopeless trying to "turn" me straight. Been at it for 3 quarters, after all," noted Mitchu as the two sophomores treaded out of the room. The florescent lights attacked her eyes, knocking the taller girl awake. The spring sunshine wasn't in Mitchu's corner either as it creeped through the windows into the locker filled hallway.

"They still should respect that you're not interested!"

"It's only because they see it as a game."

"Or they're dummies."

"Touché."

Mitchu felt her lips twitch upwards as they continued to talk through the halls. Being best friends with someone for 4 years didn't seem like long for many, but in her hectic life, 4 years was practically a century.

"Sup guys!"

With that, Camille was scooped up into the arms of a fairly lanky dark-skinned boy. The redhead's face matched her hair as she squirmed in his grasp.

"Hey Isiah." Mitchu said with an acknowledging bob of the head. Isiah returned the gesture, hefting the flushed teenage girl back to her feet. Brushing off her uniform, Camille pouted at the tall boy next to her.

"Sorry Cammie, couldn't help myself. After all, I do have the cutest girlfriend in the universe." Isiah winked at Camille, earning himself a mumbled "whatever" from the girl in question. Now united, the three teenagers wandered strolled through the halls, with Isiah leading the conversation as per usual.

Mitchu always phased out at some point, but it wasn't that their talks weren't interesting. It just was difficult to focus on multiple things at a time. Especially with that admittedly freaky dream. Who even was that girl? Why did she call Mitchu "Elaine"? It just...didn't make sense.

"So, you game?"

Mitchu blinked twice, then nodded her head. "No idea what you just said," she admitted.

Camille rolled her emerald eyes, then focused onto the girl in front of her. "He said that he wanted to head to Love a Latte after school today. Wanna tag along? Sarah will be there too, and she won’t be working for once.” 

Ah, yes. Who was Mitchu without her caramel macchiatos? That was exactly what she needed at the moment. One sip and all of this weird dream nonsense would dissolve. No mysterious figures engulfed in flames, no screams of agony and desperation, and certainly no overanalyzing on why she had the dream. "Sure, why not." The brunet responded, shrugging her built shoulders through her white school uniform.

The warning bell blared through the school, causing students to finally start shuffling away from their friends to go to their classes. With a quick kiss to Camille's forehead, the male swimmer scurried up the staircase to his final class, leaving the two girls alone once more.

"Bye girlie!" Camille called out, and with a wave, she melted into the crowd of high school students. Mitchu shuffled to her chemistry class, entering moments before the official bell rang.

Today was a packet day, so Mitchu didn't have to worry about losing focus during a lab or lecture. Still, as she scribbled answers to the questions before her, her mind drifted back to that peculiar dream.

"You were born to die."

The voice wasn't dry and plain like Mitchu's was. It was collected, yet still a lightning strike to the heart. Whoever was speaking wasn't demanding respect, they already seemed to have it. And what was up to the "made to die" thing? It sounded like a line ripped straight from Harry Potter or something.

Time somehow flew by, and an hour later Mitchu found herself waiting in front of Loyola High School's garden. The tulips aligned oh so nicely were slightly crumpled, from students running over them no doubt. Such a shame- Mitchu's mama had a garden and the same thing would happen. Expected when 2 children below the age of 10 live with you, however. She bent down, attempting to open up the crushed petal.

"Is that Mitch Daniel?"

"She went to state for track! She got 2nd, wow..."

"Do you see those muscles? She's buffer than half of the boys at our school!"

"I would let her step on me any day!"

The last comment somewhat warmed the tall sophomore's chestnut cheeks. Fortunately, the rest of the Q4 strolled outside before any of her "fans" decided to confront her. Those days were the most embarrassing in her life, she swore. "It's Mitchu!" And in moments, she found Sarah wrapped in her arms. The mildly cross eyed girl looked up at the runner with a luminous smile that could melt anyone's heart.

Camille and Isiah weren't far behind their excited friend, no doubt lost in their own conversation. After making pleasantries with the couple, the four of them headed up the hill to turn into the hidden gem coffee shop. The city streets weren't very busy, yet the buzz of people and machines were undeniable. It was so familiar and normal to Mitchu, and though some days the noise bothered her today it was a relief. As long as she never heard those screams again...

"Another 3 college students have disappeared in nearby town Neuville. If anyone has information on these disappearances, call this number..." The droning of the appliance store TVs was bothersome as usual, but the owner always claimed that it was his right to have those TVs at full blast. 

The group sped up, continuing to talk amongst themselves about their days and the latest gossip. Camille was acting out how she managed to swing the bat and hit someone in gym class when Mitchu abruptly felt a chill rush down her spine. Okay, so that was kinda weird-It was fairly warm outside for a Pennsylvania March. Peering over Sarah, Mitchu squinted to read the shop to the left of her's sign: Bumble Bee's Boutique.

"Swallow your pride and _trust_ me, Elaine."

Mitchu spun around, searching for whoever could have spoken. Instead, all she saw was her friends were looking at her like she had spouted 2 heads. "What...are you looking for Mitchu?" Camille supplied before nudging her boyfriend and giving him one of their secret looks.

"Guys, go on without me. I'm just gonna...go into this shop. See you soon." Mitchu said with a calm wave as she managed one of her small "smiles". Sarah began to pout, but the other two nodded silently and dragged the blonde with them.

A breath that Mitchu wasn't aware she was holding was released as she rested her head on the boutique's stained glass door. She was seriously wigging out today, and it was all because of that dumb dream. Once she had composed herself once more, the brunet entered the small shop.

Multiple scents attacked the immigrant student instantly: Lilac, vanilla, and...sage? Or was that incense? Mitchu cleared her head once more and let her eyes wander around. There was crystals all over the place, with racks of vintage clothes lined up fairly neatly. On what she presumed was the wooden front desk was a delicate bouquet of violets and daisies, picked by hand no doubt. There were multiple shelves next to the arrangement of flowers, some flaunting beads and others much sleeker.

"Well hello there, miss!"

Okay, so jumping 3 feet in the air at a clerk wasn't Mitchu's proudest moment, to say the least. The lady didn't note on the action except with a chuckle, which the high school student was thankful for. With a cough, she responded, "Hi. Um-was there anyone in this store in the past 5 minutes?"

The grinning southern lady blinked, bearing into Mitchu's soul with those big amber eyes. "No, I haven't seen anyone, sweetie," she said cautiously. "Feel free to look around, however. My name is Beatrice."

Mitchu nodded, hands in pockets as she peered down at the crystals in the glass case below it. Sarah's parents wanted to do a ritual for the upcoming full moon; Maybe they would like some kunzite? It'd be rude not to but something, even though she didn’t fully grasp witchcraft. But maybe Mitchu's mom would like some earrings...

The light hit the jewelry with an almost holy light, but one stood out like a sore thumb. It was a simple silver bracelet with an embroidered cherry-colored heart in the center. Mitchu couldn't tear herself away from the piece of jewelry. "It's a lovely piece," Ms. Beatrice chimed, making eye contact with the sophomore. "I must have forgotten to put a tag on it. It seems like it would be about 10 dollars..."

"I'll take it." The voice-was that her own? It must have been since now Mitchu was fetching her wallet. Taking out a crumpled up 10 dollar bill, the black girl handed it to the cheery store owner. Oh shoot- Tax. But before she could go searching for change, Ms. Beatrice stated as she was bagging the item, "No tax necessary, sugar."

"Thank you," Mitchu said with a soft smile, taking the paper bag gently. She walked back outside while clutching the bag in her rough hands. Sure, maybe the muscular girl hadn't found the owner of the eery voice. It was probably just her overactive imagination.

\-----------

The tawny paper bag was sitting on Mitchu's desk about four hours later next to a caffeinated Mitchu attempted to process algebra. Really, polynomials were not going to help her as a pediatrician. Add that with her family making a bunch of noise downstairs and Mitchu was ready to take a nap.

Glancing at the petite shopping bag, it hit the brunet that she hadn't tried on her bracelet yet. What if it hadn't fit? As tiresome as it would be to return to the store, at least Mitchu wouldn't have to do the worksheet until later. She grabbed the bag before pulling out the silver bracelet slowly. It was just as glistening as it was at the store, if not more due to the light dripping through Mitchu's window. Unclasping the bracelet, she wrapped it around her wrist gently as the warm metal kissed her skin. Wait- wasn't metal usually cool? Why was Mitchu's hand starting to burn up?

BOOM.

Sparks flew from the heart charm like it was the 4th of July up in Mitchu's simple attic-converted-to-bedroom. The light grew more brilliant until finally, it overtook the whole room, leaving the terrified teenager blinded in the white.

Mitchu hadn't even realized her hands were in an x position protecting her face until the light had faded. Heavy fog filled the small room, enveloping it with its' lavender color. Bringing her arms down, the brunet gaped like a fish at what her eyes were currently witnessing.

The figure from Mitchu's dream earlier was standing in the room, head up and blazing violet eyes staring right at her.

Oh shit.


End file.
